Page 33 - Phonebox Magazine January 2013

Combined Churches of Olney
That was a different Christmas tree, that was!
It had no tinsel and no bright baubles but on Christmas Eve when the lights were turned on, the eyes of the entire congregation were riveted on it. It was covered in prayer – literally! Throughout Advent not only the congregation of St Peter and St Paul but all visitors to the historic 14th Century church were encouraged to write prayers on bits of paper that had been cut into the shapes of doves, angels and other Christian symbols – and to hang
them on the tree.
There were prayers from ninety- year-olds and prayers from five- year-olds – and all the ages in between.
The prayer-tree was the idea of the staff of St Peter and St Paul who realised that many people wondered how to pray and even whether they could. So they invited all-comers to write short, simple prayers on pieces of paper and hang them on the tree just inside the church. So successful was this Christmas Tree of Prayer that it has been decided to make it an annual feature of Christmas at St Peter and St Paul. d
Mice in the Church!
I’m sure the real kind are there – that’s why in the summer the odd snake sneaks in to lie in wait in a patch of sun in the nave. But that’s not the kind of mice that frolicked in the church when St Peter and St Paul held its annual Crib Service. No. These were the “church mice” – the vibrant community of babies, toddlers and parent/carers who every Thursday meet in the church for a fun morning of singing, stories, crafts and prayers. They decided to attend the crib service, dressed as mice, complete with ears, tails and whiskers, for a special re- telling of the birth of Christ. Led by chief rodent, King Herod, aka Nick Blackmore, the church’s youth worker, the children gave a lusty rendition of “The tail of the mouse goes round and round.” d
Happy New Year from Olney Baptist Church!
Remembrance Day Service
A fresh look at your Bible
This year we will be continuing our series going through Luke’s gospel, learning more about Jesus and his teachings – it is a fascinating book which touches on issues like faith, prayer, suffering, justice, homelessness, disability, age and religion while using some of the best known stories in history like the Good Samaritan, Lost Sheep and Prodigal Son. No prior knowledge is necessary so come along and enjoy learning something new, a warm welcome awaits you! d
Something for everyone at Olney Baptist Church
Did you know that our Sunday morning and evening services have different flavours? In the morning we have a family- friendly worship service with a blend of new and well-loved songs and hymns, with a crèche and Sunday Club available for the children. We have thought provoking Bible teaching every week and communion once a month. In the evening we have a
Spot the YAG!
The young people at St Peter and St Paul created a new pastime this year to ease the pain of waiting for Christmas: “Spot the Y AG.” If you have never seen these rare, spotty creatures, you might struggle to participate in the game – particularly as YAGs emerge from the church hall only twice a month. But 2013 heralds a change.
At their annual Christmas “spotty” party, this group, whose ages range from 14 to 19, inspired by the work of other Christian teenagers, eagerly discussed implementing their dream of creating a safe ‘drop in’ milkshake bar for the community. At the heart of their discussion was the verse from Luke’s Gospel: “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.”
The project is just one of several
that form part of St Peter and St
Paul’s Soul Time programme
that will be implemented over the
next year to support the Olney M community.
And finally, all at St Peter and St Paul wish you a happy 2013 and pray that it be filled with the love of Christ. d
more reflective and slightly more traditional worship service where there is more space and time to think, pray and worship, with communion on the first Sunday of every month. Whatever style of worship you prefer, come along – we’d love to get to know you. d
We pray that you will know God’s blessing and peace as you enter 2012.
Fancy a fresh start? Why not come along to the special ‘Covenant’ (promise) service where we will be sharing communion and renewing our commitment to God and each other – no matter how much or little we know God now, there is always more to enjoy, so come along and get the year off to a good start; Sunday 6th January 10.30am.
Dickens of a Christmas...
Every year we open up the church after the morning service to provide toilet facilities, free cups of tea and coffee with mince pies, and squash and free crafts for the children. This year we were delighted to welcome hordes of people into the church, to warm up, have a cuppa and a chat, and take a break in all the busy-ness which is the ever popular Dickens of a Christmas – many thanks to everyone who made it such a success! d
d
Phonebox Magazine 33
Welcome on our Sunday services:
Olney Baptist Church (known as ‘Sutcliff’):
High St. (opposite the Market Place) Rev Ian Field 713880
10.30am Family Worship
6pm Evening service www.olneybaptist.org.uk
Cowper Memorial URC:
Sunday Morning at 10.45am Communion on first Sunday of month. www.cowperurc.org.uk
The Catholic Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Lawrence: Saturday Mass at 6.30pm
Sunday: Mass at 10.30am. Benediction 4 - 5 pm at the Convent Father Malcolm Bull and Church administrator, Sister Rita Scott 711212
SS Peter & Paul:
Sunday 10.00am (Weekly)
8.30am (2nd/4th Sunday of the month) 5.00pm (2nd/4th Sunday of the month) 6.00pm (1st/3rd Sunday of the month) Wednesday 9.30am (Weekly)
More at www.olneyparish.org.uk Reverend Claire Wood 713308
‘
‘